The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Kansas City, Missouri

Girolamo da Santacroce
Italian (Venetian), ca. 1485-1556 Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence,
1550/1555
Oil on panel with tempera highlights
Girolamo da Santacroce came from a family of artists working in Venice and the region in the first half of the 16th century. In this example, their style is characterized by clear narrative and much incidental detail. The gruesome subject of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, who was roasted on a grill, seems harmless as a fairy tale in the hands of this artist. Saint Lawrence was martyred by the Roman Emperor Decius who persecuted Christians vigorously, but here the emperor is shown as a Venetian doge, or chief magistrate, wearing a papal tiara. The arcaded palace in the background is also Venetian and resembles the courtyard of the Ducal Palace.
Gift of Mary K. Evans and Mrs. John E. Wheeler in memory of Harry Martin Evans, 40-44/1